Popeye’s Right On!

SO that’s what makes Popeye so strong! A recent Swedish study proves Popeye right and shows us why the leafy vegetable makes us stronger – and SQ1 is proud to serve 100% organic spinach. Tests on mice showed that nitrate, a compound found in high quantities in spinach, boosts the production of two proteins key to muscle strength.

The nitrate used “was equivalent to a human’s consumption of about 200 to 250 grammes of spinach a day, so it’s a very easily obtained amount,” one of the researchers at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Andres Hernandez, told AFP.

“Well, it is if you eat spinach. For people who don’t eat their vegetables it will be more tricky,” he added.

They found that the mice that had been on consistent nitrate had much stronger muscles, the greatest effect being observed in the extensor digitorum longus muscle, which extends down the tibia, and the flexor digitorum brevis muscle of the foot.

Continuing their study, the researchers then discovered that the nitrate mice had a higher concentration of two different proteins in their muscles, which is assumed to explain the greater muscle strength.

The findings are published in the Journal of Physiology.

So there you have it, Popeye was right on the whole time! Get your little ones started on Spinach at 10 months old. If they learn to love the taste right away, you will have veggie super-eaters!